The largest amphibious assault to date came at a crucial moment, and the planning and execution presented many conflicts for the Allies. Despite the success of Operation Torch in North Africa, the United States was still considered not fully tested or trusted by their British partners, and Stalin was clamoring for the Allies to open a second front to take the pressure off his Soviet Union.

Patton's dreams of martial glory and his desire to best his chief Allied rival, General Bernard Montgomery, head of the British Eighth Army, to the ultimate prize—the port of Messina—often clouded his judgment. His primary motivation was to prove to "Monty" and other British generals that the American soldier was as good, if not better, than his British counterpart. Using Patton's letters and diaries, Whitlock reveals the scathing opinions he held of Montgomery and almost everyone else in the Allied hierarchy.

This book chronicles how Husky would prove pivotal for both sides. Whitlock makes the case that Husky caused the downfall of Benito Mussolini and the neutralization of fascist Italy, and opened the second front to help Stalin. The fight for Sicily proved the worth of American soldiers and seamen. Lessons learned from Husky would be integrated into the Operation Overlord plan launched against France's Normandy coast the following year.